Garment holder for pressing machine



p 1966 F. MAHOTA GARMENT HOLDER FOR PRESSING MACHINE Filed Sept. 13, 1965 INVENTOR.

FRANK MAC HOTA AT TORNEY United States Patent O 3 27 0,926 GARMENT HOLDER FOR PRESSING MACHINE Frank Machota, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor of one-half to Carmen Di Mascio, Philadelphia, Pa. Filed Sept. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 486,666 4 claims. (Cl. 223-70) This invention relates to an attachment for a pressing machine. More particularly it relates to a garment holder to maintain a garment to be pressed in a properly extended position and to carry it in and out of a pressing machine. This invention relates to a pressing machine including a pivoting and sliding garment holder.

It is .an object of this invention to provide a pressing machine having an upper and lower buck, and a garment holding attachment adapted to carry a garment between said upper and lower buck.

It is an object of this invention to provide a pressing machine having an upper and lower buck and a garment holder, said garment holder having means to slide horizontally between said upper and lower buck and means to pivot toward and away from said lower buck.

It is another object of this invention to provide a garment holder adapted to be attached to a pressing machine, said garment holder having means to slide horizontally and to pivot with respect to said pressing machine during every cycle.

Other aims and objects of this invention are made apparent in the following specification and claims.

Pressing machines of the large commercial type, using a fixed lower buck and a pivoting upper buck and provided with steam, are generally used in garment mills and in large cleaning establishments. The present invention has particular applicability to pressing machines of this type as used in mills, wherein a large number of similar -or identical garments are pressed as one step in their manufacturing. For ease of production, it is advantageous to provide a means whereby the garment may be conveniently placed in position for pressing in the machine with the members of the garment properly disposed.

It has been knovm to provide various types of frames or garment holders to support a garment to be pressed. The present invention is an improvement over such known devices and eliminates certain difiiculties in the use of such known devices. The garment holder must carry the garment sufficiently far between the upper and lower bucks so that the entire garment may be pressed. At the same time, the garment holder must not interfere with the full descent of the upper buck. It is necessary that the garment holder be provided with means so that it can -be withdrawn from between the bucks to permit removal of the garment from the garment holder after pressing. A horizontal withdrawal requires an excessive motion of a mechansm away from the front of the pressing machine, and does not present the garment holder in a convenient orientation to have a garment placed thereon or removed. A pivoting motion is not completely Satisfactory because if the garment holder extends far enough between the upper and lower bucks to insure that the entire garment is pressed, the upper pivot causes the garment holder to strike the upper buck in the ordinary available type of pressing machine.

The present invention therefore provides a garment holder means which eliminates the disadvantages of the two above described types of motions. It combines a horizontal and pivotal mode of motion so that the upper buck is clear, the bucks can come together fully, the garment can be completely carried between the bucks, the withdrawal and insertion can be easily made with a minimum of :motion and without excessive movement away from the machine, and the garment can be placed on and &270926 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 'removed from the garment holder while the garment holder is in a vertical or near vertical position.

The invention is best understood in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals refer to like parts and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side View of a pressing machine equipped with a garment holder attachment, shown partly in cross-section and partly fragmented, and

FIGURE 2 is a front view, taken from the right side of FIGURE 1, partly in cross-section and partly fragmented.

The press or pressing machine, generally designated comprises a lower section lila and an upper section 10b. The lower section 10a is generally of structural steel and is of a generally table-like Construction. It includes sides 12 and a lower brace 11. A typical form of lower brace 11 is an elongated piece of structural metal extending between the sides 12, as shown in FIGURE 2, and having a cross-sectional appearance as shown in FIGURE 1. The lower section lo a includes a top 14. 'Ihe top 14 is provided on its upper surface with the lower buck 13. The structure and operation of lower buck 13, and of the upper buck which is described below, are not in themselves a part of this invention. Such structures are wellknown in the art. Typically, the bucks present a padded cloth surface. A perforated metal support is provided `beneath this padded surface, and steam is admitted through the perforations and thus through the cloth, so that garments may be steam pressed. This internal structure of the buck, and the steam and other equipment is not shown.

The upper section 10b of the pressing machine 100 generally comprises a pivoting or tiltable unit. And upper buck frame 16 is provided as shown. It is provided at one edge with hinges 16a which are pivotally connected by means of pivot 17 to fixed hinges 14a. The afiixed hinges 14a are aflixed to the lower section 1001, as by being fastened to the top 14.

The upper buck frame 16 is provided wit-h an upper buck 15 on its lower surface. The comments made ajbove in connection with lower buck 1 3 applied also to` upper buck 15. Hose connections to the upper buck are not shown, since t-his structure is not part of the present invention. The upper buck frame 16 is provided at the edge remote from the hinges with a handle 16b. The upper buck frame 16 is typically extended 'beyond the hinges -to provide a counter weight to the weight of the main section of the upper buck frame. i

In operation, a garment to be pressed is placed on lower buck 13, upper 'buck 15 is depressed by means of handle 16b, steam is admitted, and the procedure is reversed. The above description has been of the conventional pressing machine 100.

The garment holder is afiixed to the pressing machine by means of bracket 21. Bra'cket 21 is pre ferably an L-shaped elongated member. One leg of the L is bolted to lower brace 11 :by means of bolts 2111. This structure may generally be called the garment holder mounting means. The structure described below is all part of the garment holder and is ultimately supported by the mounting means. A horizontal sleeve 23 is provided on top of bracket 21 near each end thereof. Each of the two horizontal sleeves 23 receives a horizontally slidable bar 25a with a sliding fit. In the embodiment shown, the sleeve 23 and the bar 25a have circular cross-sections. In normal operation, the horizontally slidable bars 25a are free to move in their respective sleeves 23. It is possible to lock the bars 25a against sliding in the sleeves 23 'by operation of the set-screws 23a, but during operation t he set-screws 23a are in the unlocked or loose position. They may normally be locked only 3, if the machine is not in operation, and they may be eliminated all together.

Each horizontally slidable bar 25a termnates n a vertical sleeve 25b. Each vertical sleeve 25b receives a vertica'lly slidable bar 27a. In the preferre d embodment as illustrated, the cross-sections of the sleeve 2517 and bar 27a are circular. A set-screw 250 is provided through the wall of each vertical sleeve 25b. Unlike set-screw 23a, described in connection with the horizontally slidable bar 25a, the set-screw 250 is normally in a locked position, and the vertically slidable bar 27a is not nornally free to move. The vertical adjustment of vertcally slidable bars 27a, made when set-screws 25c are loosened, is made only once to adjust the height of the garment holder with relation to the pressing machine. Thereafter, the set-screws 25c are left locked.

Each vertically slidable bar 27a terminates at ts upper end in a clamp 27b. A fixed horizontal !bar 28 extends in'between each Vertically slidable bar 2711 and is held thereon by clamps 27b. The operative clamping aspect of the clamps 27b are the set-screws 27c. After the device is assembled, these set-screws are normally left fixed.

The structure of the garment holder described above may generally be called the horizontally slding section. The elements described below may general'ly be called the pivoting section. The pivoting section is mounted on the horizontally slding section so that during an Operat ng cycle of the device, the elements of the pivoting section actually have a pivoting component of motion and a hor zontal Component. The horizontally slding section s generally designated 2051 and the pivoting section s generally designated 2017.

The pivoting section 201) includes a pair of :arms 35a. Each arm 35a is provided with a hole at one end thereof to pivotally fit around the fixed horizontal bar 28. Fixed i horizontal bar 23 is of circular cross-section, and each of the arms 3551 -is free to pivot around this fixed bar. As best shown in FIGURE 1, the preferred shape of each of the bars is an elongated rectangular element of metal, having change of direction intermediate the ends thereof. The bars 35a may be connected at one end or the other, or may 'be integral, so as to form a U-shaped structure, with the ends of the arms nearest the fixed horizontal bar 28 being connected. Each of the arms 35a terminates in a frame clamp 3517 at the end remote from the end pivoting around the fixed horizontal bar 28. Each fr ame clamp 3517 is a U-shaped member opening upwardly when the garment holder is in the position shown by the solid lines in the drawings. Each frame clamp 35b is provided with a set-screw 350.

The frame clamps 351) hold a garment frame securely. The garment frame includes a garment-shaped frame section 3617 and a bar-like frarne base section 3651. The garment-shaped frame section, also called the shaped frame section, is preferably a single extended length of relatively rigid metal, such as metal tubing, very heavy gauge mire, or bar stock, bent or otherwise formed into a planar configuration as a garment form. The overall configuration maybe generally described as approximately U-shaped, with the open ends facing downwardly, and joined together by 'being firmly affixed to the frame base section 36a. As best shown in FIGURE 2-, the shape of the shaped frame section 36b is such that it receives and accommodates a garment to be pressed. As shown, the garment 40 is of the sweater type. The dimensions of the shaped frame section 36b are such that the garment 40 is stretched fairly firmly in a flat position.

The frame base section 36a is in turn clamped securely in the pair of frame clamps 35b. It is held in these clamps *by means of set-screws 350. Normally, these setscrews are in a locked position, and are released only when it is desired to change the garment frame to accommodate some other sized garment. Since the general utility of this invention lies in production runs of identical or similar garments, it would be appreciated that the change in the frame will be made only intrequently if at all.

The garment frame may thus be pivoted around the fixed horizontal bar 28 from a horizontal position such as is shown by the phantom lines in FIGURE 1 to an approximately vertical, or relatively upright position such as is shown by the solid lines in FIGURE 1. The horizontal position is limited by the shaped frame section 36!) striking the lower buck 13. The 'limit of pivotal travel in the other direction is determined by separate stop means. These stop means comprise a pair of stops 3217. Each stop 3217 includes a stop sleeve 32a, which is adapted to receive the fixed horizontal bar 28. The stop sleeve 32a is locked in position to the fixed horizontal har 28 by means of set-screw 326. The stop 32b is a finger like metal projection which extends from the stop sleeve 32a to a point 'below the vertical plane of the corresponding arm 35a. It is thus apparent that when the pivoting section 20b of the garment frame is swung toward its upright position, its travel is limited by the arms 35a striking the stops 32b. The exact limit may be set by adjusting the stop sleeve 32a on the horizontal bar 28. The set-screws 32c are then tightened and normally, once adjusted, this position remains constant and the set-screws are in a locked position during operation.

In assembling the garment holder to the pressing machine, the mounting meansis Secured, and then the vertically slidable bar 27a is adjusted so that when the pivoting section is in its horizont-al position, as shown by the phantom lines in FIGURE 1, the shaped frame section 361) is parallel to and touching the top of the lower buck 13. The set-screws 250 are then locked to hold the vertically slidable bars 27a in that position. The vertical arrows in FIGURE l show this travel.

The set-screws 23a on the horizontal sleeves 23 are left in the unlocked position so that the horizontally sliding section 2061 is free to move horizontally. This motion is indicated by the horizontal arrows in FIGURE 1. Referring to FIGURE 1, the cycle starts in the position illustrated by the solid lines. A garment 40 is placed over the shaped frame section 361). The pivoting section 20b is then pivoted so that the shaped frame section 3617 is horizontal. The horizontally slding section 2051, and hence the entire garment holder`s assembly, s then slid from right to left so that the garment is carried fully between the upper and lower bucks. The pressing operation is then performed, and the procedure is reversed to withdraw the pressed garment.

The operator carries out the above procedures by manually moving the garment holder. It is apparent that the pivoting and horizontally slding motions may at least partially take place simultaneously. Starting with the loading position as shown in FIGURE 1, it is not however possible to first move in the horizontal direction to the left, since in that case, the attempt to pivot the pivoting section to a horizontal position would cause the top of the garment form or shaped frame section 36b to strike the underside of the upper buck 15. It follows that when it is desired to withdraw the garment from between the bucks, the full pivoting motion to the upright position cannot be made without the horizontal motion, for the same reason.

This particular structure which permits the above-described sequence of motions makes it possible to fully carry a garment to be pressed between the bucks, without unduly restricting their full closure in any way, and also makes it possible to easily swing the garment to an upright position for removal from its shaped frame.

The scope of this invention is to be determined by the appended claims and not limited by the foregoing de` scription and drawings which are illustrative.

I claim:

D 1. A pressing machine and garment holder, said pressng machine comprising a lower section, a fixed lower.

buck on said lower section, a tiltable upper section, an upper buck on said upper section, said upper section being hingedly connected to said lower section, said garment holder comprising (a) a horizontally sliding section mounted on said pressing machine lower section below said lower back, and (b) a pivoting section mounted on said horizontally sliding section and being pivotable in a vertical plane, said pvoting section including a garment frame, said garment frame including a planar, horizontally -disposed shaped frame sect ion adapted to receive a garment to be pressed and pivotable with said pivoting section from a horizontal position parallel to and in contact with said lower buck to a substantially upright position, said lower buck limiting the pivotable travel of said pivoting section in one direction, said horizontally sliding section including a stop, said stop being positioned to be contacted by said pivoting section when said pivoting section is so pivoted to position said shaped frame in said substantially upright position, said stop limiting the pivotable travel of said pivoting section in the other direction.

2. A pressing machine and garment holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said horizontally sliding section includes mounting means, a horizontal sleeve on said mounting means, a horizontally slidable bar freely slidable through said horizontal sleeve, a vertical sleeve at 6 one end of said horizontally slidng bar, a vertically slidable bar fixed in said vertical sleeve, a fixed horizontal bar extending from the top of said vertically sliding bar, said stop being mounted on said fixed horizontal bar.

3. A pressing machine and garment holder as set forth in claim 2 wherein said pivoting section comprises an arm, said arm having a hole near one end thereof, said hole pivotally fitting around said fixed horizontal bar, and said garment-shaped frame section being aflxed to the other end of said arm.

4. A pressing machine and garment holder as set forth in claim 3 wherein said garment holder includes a pair of said horizontally slidable bars, a pair of said vertically slidable bars, a single fixed horizontal bar between said vertically slidable bars, and a pair of stops `on said fixed horizontal bar,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,457,476 12/ 1948 Kaplan 223- 2,493,864 1/1950 Forman 223-70 3,118,579 1/1964 Cerami 223-70 JORDAN FRANKLIN, P''mary Examiner.

G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Exam'ner. 

1. A PRESSING MACHINE AND GARMENT HOLDER, SAID PRESSING MACHINE COMPRISING A LOWER SECTION, A FIXED LOWER BUCK ON SAID LOWER SECTION, A TILTABLE UPPER SECTION, AN UPPER BUCK ON SAID UPPER SECTION, SAID UPPER SECTION BEING HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID LOWER SECTION, SAID GARMENT HOLDER COMPRISING (A) A HORIZONTALLY SLIDING SECTION MOUNTED ON SAID PRESSING MACHINE LOWER SECTION BELOW SAID LOWER BACK, AND (B) A PIVOTING SECTION MOUNTED ON SAID HORIZONTALLY SLIDING SECTION AND BEING PIVOTABLE IN A VERTICAL PLANE, SAID PIVOTING SECTION INCLUDING A GARMENT FRAME, SAID GARMENT FRAME INCLUDIGN A PLANAR, HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED SHAPED FRAME SECTION ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A GARMENT TO BE PRESSED AND PIVOTABLE WITH SAID PIVOTING SECTION FROM A HORIZONTAL POSITION PARALLEL TO AND IN CONTACT WITH SAID LOWER BUCK TO A SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT POSITION, SAID LOWER BUCK LIMITING AND PIVOTABLE TRAVEL OF SAID PIVOTING SECTION IN ONE DIRECTION, SAID HORIZONTALLY SLIDING SECTION INCLUDING A STOP, SAID STOP BEING POSITIONED TO BE CONTACED BY SAID PIVOTING SECTION WHEN SAID PIVOTING SECTION IS SO PIVOTED TO POSITION AND SHAPED FRAME IN SAID SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT POSITION, SAID STOP LIMITING THE PIVOTABLE TRAVEL OF SAID PIVOTING SECTION IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. 